Of All The Fortresses in Thedas She Had to Ride Into This One
by Koreemenei
Summary: After 11 years of not seeing her, she suddenly reappears in his life. Can they have the one thing neither thought was possible.


The Unexpected Visitor

Part 1

Disclaimer I don't own Dragon Age, EA/Bioware does. The setting is set around the Inquisition's arrival of Skyhold

The Inquisition was just settling into Skyhold, Alexander Trevelyan was chatting with Commander Cullen Rutherford on the battlements of the derelict fortress. The men were in deep discussion when they noticed Leliana chatting and laughing with a cloaked figure dismounting their horse. They were puzzled as neither had seen this side of her before. Cullen focused more on the hooded individual. He then heard a laugh he hadn't heard in eleven years. He was lost in his own thoughts, as the hooded person began to remove their hood. Alexander wondered who the visitor, was with the removal of their hood he found out was a woman. She seemed to have different affects on two of his advisors. He had to admit he liked seeing this side of Leliana, but was worried as Cullen seemed to be still lost in his thoughts. He said Cullen's name which seemed to bring him back, asking who she was. Cullen motioned for him to follow him to his office. Once inside, he asked Alexander if he had ever heard tale of the warden, Alexander nodded that he had. He spoke, ''that the woman that was with Leliana was Rayna Amell, more commonly known as the Hero of Ferelden.'' He continued that he knew her as she was an apprentice at the Ferelden Circle while he was a templar there."She left a day after she became a mage of the circle to become a Grey Warden."

Alexander listened and saw both love and hurt on his face as he talked about her. Cullen said she returned a few months later, and that Leliana was one of her traveling companions, so that answered Alexander's question about how Leliana knew her. Alexander wondered in their brief talks why Leliana had never mentioned it although she typically didn't say much to him or anyone for that matter. Until he saw her with Rayna, he didn't think she knew how to smile, even Cassandra made jokes from time to time. Alexander watched as he seemed to retreat back to his thoughts, Alexander who sometimes spoke before he thought, asked what happened when she returned. Cullen felt it was time to tell him about the events at the Circle Tower, and how Rayna returned. He told him how he watched his friends were mentally and physically tortured by blood mages, and when Rayna found him he spoke some of the most hateful words he had ever said. "Even after every mean thing I said, she took what I said in consideration and decided the risk of more blood mages was not worth the risk. She sided against her own, I watched her with my own eyes fight a senior enchanter."Then once she and her group defeated Uldred or whatever was left of him, she sided with me again saying the maleficarum threat was too great and that the circle should be annulled."Her mentor Irving looked hurt that she would say that, but agreed with her decision. Her fellow Grey Warden pulled her aside saying do you realize what you've done."She told him she had no choice, as she already had to worry about darkspawn; she wasn't going to allow blood mages, demons, and abominations to add to the chaos they were dealing with. She traded some of the things she had gathered with our quartermaster. She was still wearing the amulet I'd given her after her harrowing." The other grey warden seemed to be impatient insisting that they head back to Redcliffe, so they left after getting the knight commander's aid for the blight.

Alexander saw how fondly he spoke of her and hated to pry, but he knew from his time at the chantry that mage-templar relationships were forbidden. Cullen seemed to read his mind, and said that he and Rayna were indeed in love, and that he had never met or loved another since her. "They kept their relationship a secret, and he was heartbroken when she left to become a warden. Several templars and mages said she had aided an alleged blood mage destroy his phylactery so he could escape. He said that seemed so unlike her, as she annulled the circle, essentially killing every mage, and looking back he listened to gossip rather than asking her. Just them Jim came in, and said that Leliana was requesting an extra bed be delivered to her room for her friend until a more suitable room became available for her.

Cullen wondered if this was a sign from the Maker and maybe they still had a chance, as he was no longer a templar and her being a Grey Warden there were no reason they couldn't be together. He just needed answers on why she helped Jowan and why she left and hoped she wouldn't hate him for the events in Kirkwall. Alexander excused himself and left Cullen to his thoughts. The commander realized that he still loved her, and hoped she felt the same.


End file.
